How to securely password protect an Excel file

Posted on January 26, 2008 at 7:06 am

Password protecting your Excel worksheet can prevent others from tampering with your data, but it can also be a great way to protect your other passwords as well. When using Microsoft Excel, there are many ways that you can password protect your spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excell 2007 Logo

One of the first and easiest methods is to password protect the entire sheet or workbook. To do this in Microsoft Excel 2007, first go to the Review tab and then click on Protect Sheet or Protect Workbook.

Protect Worksheet

When a pop-up window appears, select your options and type in the desired password. Your password can be something crazy, that no one would ever suspect (like 45pQ93S21!). In order to remember your password, copy it into a different workbook for safe keeping.

Protect Worksheet Pop Up Box

Create a new file, just to store your passwords. You can name this file anything you want, but it would probably be safer to name it something mundane – like HistoricalStockPrices.xls – instead of something that screams “open me” like ListOfMyPasswords.xls. In this new file, create your password list that you can then refer to whenever you want to open a document.

Password List

Next, password protect the entire workbook. To do this, click on File, then Save As. When the file-save window appears, type in your file name, then select the Tools drop down menu. From that menu, select General Options.

This will enable you to password protect the entire workbook and prevent anyone else from opening it and viewing its contents. For this password – remember to use one that you will remember. There is no easy way to retrieve a lost Excel password, so make this one something unique that you won’t forget.

Save with protection

Now, whenever you want to open that file, you will first see a screen like the one below asking for your password. This will enable you to protect all of your passwords and never forget them.

Password Prompt

Useful Tip: Creating a password file can be especially useful if you are required to frequently change your password at work and always have trouble remembering the new password.

Summary of Simple Steps To Protect Your Work

1. Protect your sheets using the “Protect Workbook” button and a crazy password that can’t easily be guessed.

2. Store all your passwords in one sheet so that you’ll remember them. Password protect the entire sheet when you save it by using the Tools – General Options functionality. For this password, use something that you will remember.

If you’re looking for a way into a protected Excel workbook, you can read my article on how to crack an Excel password.

This is a guest post by Karen Worthy, a tech enthusiast.

[tags]Microsoft, Microsoft Excel 2007, Excel, password, password protection, workbook, spreadsheet, protect sheet, protect workbook, save passwords, remember passwords, keep your passwords[/tags]

» Filed Under MS Office Tips

Comments

16 Responses to “How to securely password protect an Excel file”

Sabrina said on : January 27th, 2008 at 7:50 am

Thx for this article! I am always having to change my pasword at work and am always forgetting my passwords after I change them. This will help.

El Di Pablo said on : January 28th, 2008 at 8:05 am

careful Sabrina, you are still better off memorizing your password. There are a lot of freely downloadable programs designed to crack Excel passwords.

kirti said on : February 14th, 2008 at 12:20 am

i forget my password i want to open my excel file it is important.how can i open it

Mark said on : March 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

Thanks, this is a great help

Sergiu said on : May 14th, 2008 at 9:57 am

Thanks!

Steve said on : May 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm

Yeah, that’s right. Save your passwords in an unencrypted EXCEL DOCUMENT. If IT finds out you get your ass fired quicker than you can new security holes are discovered in Windows. Also, if you think your data is safe in a password protected excel document you’re living in fantasyland.

cheryl said on : June 10th, 2008 at 3:51 am

thank you very much… It helps a lot..

More power…

Kiran said on : August 6th, 2008 at 10:59 am

Thanx for this article, it has been of gr8 help.

Ankush said on : August 13th, 2008 at 3:57 am

@Kirti : Perhaps you can take a look at the available softwares, just do a general search.

JP Rao said on : September 18th, 2008 at 1:15 am

Nice tip. I did not know how to do this before.
“Easy to follow steps” make anyone understand the procedure. Thank you.

Mubbashir Ali said on : November 4th, 2008 at 11:09 am

thanks for article, before I do not know how to password protect an Excel file!

Funso said on : December 4th, 2008 at 7:12 am

Thanks for the article..Was very useful

Maria Evans said on : January 13th, 2009 at 11:08 am

The excel protection system has many vulnerabilities although these have been improved from version to version. This website has a useful article relating to your query:

http://www.datasafexl.com/vulnerabilities.htm

srikanth said on : May 27th, 2009 at 4:53 am

The Article was very useful …It taught me how to password protect the Excel sheets….:-)

How to track changes in Excel 2007 Says:

[...] for a way to track changes made to an Excel spreadsheet. In an earlier post, I wrote how you can protect an Excel workbook using a password, but there are many cases where you have to distribute a file and allow others to edit it [...]
September 5th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Password protect programs and EXE files with Empathy Says:

[...] previously written about how to password protect Excel files, password protect URLs and links, and password protect files and folders, however, I have not [...]
December 16th, 2008 at 5:35 am